JP3118823U - Handpiece for dental optical diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

OCT is used for obtaining detailed optical tomographic images under the retina in ophthalmology, but in dentistry, the subject consists of hard and soft tissues such as ivory / enamel and gingiva in the tooth. Because the inside of the oral cavity is narrow and the shape varies greatly from person to person, the shape of the handpiece of the detection unit and its internal structure and operability are important for dental devices. provide.
A cylindrical insertion portion having an irradiation window in contact with a tooth portion, a gradually expanding cylinder and a large cylindrical holding portion are linearly configured, and an optical scanner, a Michelson interferometer, A diffraction grating and a one-dimensional image sensor are provided, and scanning signals in the horizontal direction by an optical scanner and measurement signals for obtaining a one-dimensional structure in the depth direction can be obtained.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical diagnostic apparatus in dental practice, and more particularly to a handpiece for a dental optical diagnostic apparatus provided with OCT (Optical coherence tomography) means.

Conventionally, the use example for diagnosis in the living body of OCT has been used to obtain an optical tomographic image of a detailed structure under the fundus retina in, for example, ophthalmology.
Further, the following documents are disclosed as probes for dental optical diagnostic apparatuses.
JP-A-2004-344260 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-347380 JP-A-2004-344262

Dental subjects are composed of hard tissues such as dentin and enamel, and soft tissues such as gingiva, and the space in the oral cavity that can be used for diagnosis is narrow, and the shape is also individual. The difference is great.
Therefore, in the OCT apparatus that measures the reflected light from a predetermined depth of the hard and soft tissues in the oral cavity that is the subject, the shape of the handpiece that detects the reflected light, the internal structure, and the operability are particularly important. There is always a need for improvement.
The present invention provides a handpiece for a dental optical diagnostic apparatus with improved operability in addition to the literature in the disclosure of the invention.

In view of the above, the present inventors have solved the problem by the following means.
(1) A predetermined low-coherent light generating means for irradiating a tooth portion of a subject, and reflected light from a predetermined deep portion in a selected region of the tooth portion using the low-coherent light as signal light A handpiece for a dental optical diagnostic apparatus comprising OCT means for acquiring an optical tomographic image of the region by interference with a reference light having a slight frequency difference from the signal light or having undergone phase modulation A light-shielding small-diameter cylindrical insertion portion having a signal light irradiation window at the distal end, and a light-shielding cylindrical gripping portion connected to the rear portion thereof, in the insertion portion and in the cylindrical gripping A dental optical diagnostic device handpiece comprising an optical scanner, an optical interferometer, a spectroscope, and a detector thereof in the unit.
(2) The optical optical interferometer is a Michelson interferometer, the spectroscope is a diffraction grating, and the detector is a one-dimensional image pickup device. piece.

(3) An optical fiber in a grip for introducing a low coherent light source generated outside, a lens in front of the end of the optical fiber, a low coherent optical space transmission path in front of the lens, and a handpiece. The installed Michelson interferometer has a beam splitter, a spatial transmission path in front of the beam splitter having a predetermined optical path length for transmitting transmitted light, and a machine disposed at the front end of the cylindrical insertion portion at the end of the transmission path. Optical scanner for performing general scanning, a condensing lens for condensing the reflected light, and signal light irradiation and acquisition of the reflected light to the tooth portion provided on the cylindrical tube wall on the upper surface of the condensing lens The irradiation window, and on the other hand, the low coherent light branched by the beam splitter is fixed to the end of the transmission path having the same optical path length as reaching the toothed portion via the optical scanner provided via a lens. Back in the grip A reference light reflecting mirror is formed, and a reflected signal light from the tooth part and a reference light from the reference light reflecting mirror are both sent to the same spatial transmission path by the beam splitter, and In front of the transmission path, a reflecting mirror and a diffraction grating that splits the transmitted light are arranged, and in front of the diffraction grating, there is a one-dimensional image sensor that measures the interference fringes dispersed through the lens. The dental optical diagnostic apparatus handpiece according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the imaging element is provided with a signal line for transmitting the measurement signal to the outside.
(4) Dental optical diagnosis according to any one of (1) to (3) above, characterized in that a horizontal scanning with an optical scanner and a measurement signal for obtaining a one-dimensional structure in the depth direction are obtained. Device handpiece.

(5) The above items (1) to (4), wherein the transmission path of the low coherent light is configured to transmit light superimposed with guide light for determining a photodiagnosis position of the tooth portion outside. The handpiece for dental optical diagnostic apparatus according to any one of the above.
(6) The surface image of the tooth part is transmitted to the imaging surface of an external camera that images the tooth part in the vicinity of the arrival position of the guide light irradiated to the tooth part in order to determine the photodiagnosis position of the tooth part. And an optical fiber that transmits illumination light for illuminating the teeth imaged by the camera from an illumination light source that is also installed externally, and each tip is used as the signal light irradiation window. The preceding items (1) to (5), characterized in that a reflector for illumination / imaging is arranged in one stroke of the irradiation window in front of each tip. The handpiece for dental optical diagnostic apparatuses according to any one of the above.
(7) A camera that images a tooth near the arrival position of the guide light irradiated on the tooth to determine a photodiagnosis location of the tooth, and an illumination light source for illuminating the tooth captured by the camera Are disposed in the grip portion and connected to the light source for illumination, and an optical fiber for transmitting a surface image of a tooth portion to the imaging surface of the camera. (1) In the preceding item (1), a reflector for illumination / imaging is disposed in a portion of the irradiation window in front of each of the tip ends. The handpiece for dental optical diagnostic apparatus according to any one of to (5)

1. According to the devices of claims 1 to 4 of the present invention,
A means for generating predetermined low-coherent light for irradiating the teeth of the subject;
Using the low-coherent light as signal light, reflected light from a predetermined deep portion within a selected predetermined region of the tooth portion, and reference light having a slight frequency difference from the signal light or having undergone phase modulation In a dental optical diagnostic handpiece comprising OCT means for acquiring an optical tomographic image of the scanning region by interference of
A light-shielding small-diameter cylindrical insertion portion having a signal light irradiation window at the tip, and a light-shielding cylindrical gripping portion connected linearly to the rear portion,
Since the optical scanner, the optical interferometer, the spectroscope and its detector are provided in the insertion portion and the cylindrical gripping portion, intrusion of extraneous light from the outside can be prevented, and signal light processing can be performed. It can be carried out with high accuracy, and the reflected light from the subject can also be obtained with high accuracy. In addition, the optical scanner can be close to the tooth part of the subject, the portion of the handpiece tip inserted into the oral cavity can be narrowed, and insertion of the handpiece tip into the mouth and irradiation of the signal light subject is easy become.

In addition, the optical interferometer is a Michelson interferometer, the spectroscope is a diffraction grating, the detector is a one-dimensional image sensor, and is housed inside the dental optical diagnostic handpiece,
A measurement signal for obtaining a one-dimensional structure in the depth direction is obtained, and a two-dimensional tomographic image can be obtained externally by, for example, computation of Fourier domain OCT by performing horizontal scanning with an optical scanner.

2. According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effects of claims 1-4,
Since it is possible to transmit light with guide light superimposed on the low-coherent light transmission path to determine the optical diagnosis location of the tooth part, the practitioner can visually confirm the arrival position of the guide light by visually checking the arrival location of the guide light. Can be set easily, and work efficiency can be improved.

3. According to the invention of claim 6 or 7,
A camera that images the arrival position of the guide light irradiated to the tooth part in order to determine the photodiagnosis position of the tooth part and an illumination light source that illuminates the tooth part imaged by the camera are arranged outside the handpiece. The handpiece can be simplified and downsized.
Alternatively, the optical fiber tip disposed in the gripping part of the handpiece and connected to the illumination light source and the optical fiber tip for transmitting the surface image of the tooth part to the imaging surface of the camera is used as the signal light irradiation window. Items arranged close to each other can be integrated, and in both cases, the practitioner can easily determine the optical diagnosis location by an external monitor, and the work efficiency can be improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a handpiece for dental optical diagnosis according to the present invention.
In the figure, 1 is a handpiece for dental optical diagnosis, 2 is a gripping part, 3 is a gradually expanding cylindrical part, 4 is a handpiece insertion part, 5 is an irradiation window, 6 is a window glass, 7 is an edge cover, and 8 is an exterior. Show the tube.
The external appearance of the handpiece is as follows: an irradiation window 5 that comes into contact with a tooth portion in the oral cavity, the handpiece insertion portion 4 having a small-diameter cylindrical portion, a gradually expanding cylindrical portion 3 connected thereto, and the cylindrical portion 3 The large cylindrical gripping part 2 connected to is arranged in a straight line and configured as a single body.
Then, the practitioner grasps the grip portion 2 and the front portion thereof, inserts the handpiece insertion portion 4 into the patient's oral cavity, and makes the irradiation window 5 abut on the measurement / diagnosis location of the tooth portion.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dental optical diagnostic handpiece of the present invention.
In the figure, 9 is a condenser lens, 10 is an optical scanner, 11 is an optical scanner code, 12 is a low coherent optical spatial transmission path, 12 'is a spatial transmission optical path, 13 is a reference optical spatial transmission path, 14 is a beam splitter, 15 , 16 is a reflecting mirror, 17 is a diffraction grating, 18 is a lens, 19 is a one-dimensional image sensor, 20 is a one-dimensional image sensor signal code, 21 is a lens, 22 is a reference light lens, 23 is a reference light reflector, Reference numeral 28 denotes an optical fiber for low coherent light, 31 denotes an insertion portion cover attaching / detaching portion, 32 denotes an insertion portion cover, 33 denotes a signal and wiring introduction hole, and 35 denotes a Michelson interferometer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the internal structure is for low-coherent light in a holding part for introducing a signal of a large-diameter cylinder of the holding part 2 and a low-coherent light introduced outside from the wiring introduction hole 33. An optical fiber 28;
Parallel light from the lens 21 in front of the end of the optical fiber 28 passes through the front low-coherent optical space transmission path 12 and enters a Michelson interferometer 35 formed in the handpiece 1.

The Michelson interferometer is
The beam splitter 14 has a spatial transmission optical path 12 ′ having a predetermined optical path length from which the transmitted light in front of the beam splitter 14 reaches the toothed portion via the optical scanner 10. The spatial transmission optical path 12 ′ has a cylindrical insertion section 4. An optical scanner 10 for mechanical scanning, a condensing lens 9 for condensing the reflected light, and a cylindrical tube wall of the insertion portion 4 on the upper surface of the condensing lens 9. The optical path length from the irradiation window 5 for signal light irradiation to the tooth portion and the acquisition of the reflected light to the tooth portion is provided.
On the other hand, the low-coherent light branched by the beam splitter 14 is a reference light having the same optical path length as that reaching the toothed portion via the optical scanner 10 provided via the reflecting mirror 15 and the reference light lens 22. The reference light is generated by the reference light reflecting mirror 23 in the rear of the grip portion 2 fixed to the end of the transmission path 13, and the reflected signal light from the tooth portion and the reference light are transmitted by the beam spiriter 14. Both are configured to be sent to the same space transmission path.

In addition, a reflecting mirror 16 and a diffraction grating 17 for dispersing the transmitted light are disposed in front of the spatial transmission optical path.
In front of the diffraction grating 17, a one-dimensional image sensor 19 for measuring the interference fringes dispersed through the lens 18 is disposed. The image sensor 19 is a signal line for sending the measurement signal to the outside. 20 is provided.
With this configuration, the dental optical diagnostic handpiece can obtain a measurement signal from the one-dimensional image sensor 19 for obtaining a one-dimensional structure in the depth direction and scanning in the horizontal direction by the optical scanner 10.
Further, the positioning of the photodiagnostic portion of the tooth portion in FIG. 2 is performed by visually observing the guide light superimposed on the low-coherent light.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dental optical diagnostic handpiece of a surface image pickup method using a camera according to claim 7.
In the figure, 24 is a camera imaging optical fiber, 25 is an illumination optical fiber, 26 is an illumination light source, 27 is an imaging camera, 29 is an imaging camera code, 30 is an illumination light source code, and 34 is an illumination / imaging reflector. Show.
An imaging camera 27 for acquiring a surface image and an illumination light source 26 for illuminating the imaging location of the camera are disposed inside the cylindrical portion having the large diameter, and is connected to the illumination light source 26. The illumination optical fiber 25 and the imaging optical fiber 24 for transmitting the surface image of the tooth portion to the imaging surface of the camera are disposed close to the irradiation window 5 at the respective tips.
In addition, an illumination / imaging reflecting mirror 34 is disposed in front of each of the tips in an area of the irradiation window 5, and the surface image of the tooth portion of the subject is an external monitor (with guide light) (Not shown) can be observed on the monitor, or only the surface image can be observed with the guide light turned off.
In this embodiment as well, it is possible to visually check the diagnostic part of the tooth by irradiating the guide light.
Furthermore, by taking out the imaging camera 27 for surface image acquisition and the illumination light source 26 to the outside of the handpiece, and pulling out the optical fiber for imaging and the optical fiber for illumination from the optical fiber inlet 42 of the handpiece, It is also possible to simplify the structure within the handpiece.

External perspective view of dental optical diagnostic handpiece of the present invention Longitudinal sectional view of the handpiece for dental optical diagnosis of the present invention Longitudinal section of a handpiece for dental optical diagnosis using a surface imaging system with a camera

Explanation of symbols

1: Dental light diagnostic handpiece 2: Grasping part 3: Gradually expanding cylindrical part 4: Handpiece insertion part 5: Irradiation window 6: Window glass 7: Edge cover 8: Exterior tube 9: Condensing lens 10: Optical scanner 11: Optical scanner code 12: Low coherent optical spatial transmission path 12 ′: Spatial transmission optical path 13: Reference optical spatial transmission path 14: Beam splitter 15, 16: Reflector 17: Diffraction grating 18: Lens 19: One-dimensional imaging device 20 : One-dimensional image sensor signal line 21: lens 22: reference light lens 23: reference light reflecting mirror 24: camera imaging optical fiber 25: illumination optical fiber 26: illumination light source 27: imaging camera 28: low coherent light Optical fiber 29: Imaging camera code 30: Illumination light source code 31: Insertion part cover attaching / detaching part 32: Insertion part cover 33: Signal and wiring introduction hole 34: Reflection mirror 35 for illumination / imaging : Michelson interferometer

Claims (7)

A means for generating predetermined low-coherent light for irradiating the teeth of the subject;
Using the low-coherent light as signal light, reflected light from a predetermined depth in a selected region of the tooth portion, and reference light having a slight frequency difference from the signal light or having undergone phase modulation In a dental optical diagnostic handpiece comprising OCT means for acquiring an optical tomographic image of the region by interference,
A light-shielding small-diameter cylindrical insertion portion having a signal light irradiation window at the tip, and a light-shielding cylindrical gripping portion connected to the rear portion,
An optical scanner, an optical interferometer, a spectroscope, and a detector thereof are provided in the insertion portion and the cylindrical gripping portion.   2. The dental optical diagnostic handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the optical interferometer is a Michelson interferometer, the spectroscope is a diffraction grating, and the detector is a one-dimensional image sensor. An optical fiber in the grip for introducing a low-coherent light source generated externally;
A lens in front of the optical fiber end, a low coherent optical space transmission path in front of the lens,
And the Michelson interferometer arranged in the handpiece
A beam splitter and a spatial transmission path having a predetermined optical path length for transmitting transmitted light in front of the beam splitter; and an optical scanner for performing mechanical scanning disposed at the tip of a cylindrical insertion portion in front of the transmission path end;
A condensing lens for condensing the reflected light, an irradiation window for signal light irradiation and reflection light acquisition on the tooth portion provided on the cylindrical tube wall on the upper surface of the condensing lens, and
On the other hand, the low coherent light branched by the beam splitter is fixed to the end of the transmission path having the same optical path length as that reaching the toothed portion via the optical scanner provided via a lens. A reference light reflecting mirror is provided, and the reflected signal light from the tooth portion and the reference light from the reference light reflecting mirror are both sent to the same spatial transmission path by the beam splitter;
In addition, a reflecting mirror and a diffraction grating for dispersing the transmitted light are disposed in front of the transmission path,
Further, a one-dimensional image sensor for measuring interference fringes dispersed through a lens is disposed in front of the diffraction grating, and the image sensor includes a signal line for sending the measurement signal to the outside. The dental optical diagnostic handpiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The dental optical diagnostic device handpiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a scanning signal in a horizontal direction by an optical scanner and a measurement signal for obtaining a one-dimensional structure in a depth direction are obtained.   The transmission path of the low coherent light is configured to transmit light superimposed with guide light for determining a photodiagnostic portion of the tooth portion outside, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The handpiece for dental optical diagnostic apparatus as described. In order to transmit the surface image of the tooth part to the imaging surface of an external camera that images the tooth part near the arrival position of the guide light irradiated to the tooth part in order to determine the optical diagnosis location of the tooth part An optical fiber and an optical fiber that transmits illumination light for illuminating a tooth portion imaged by the camera from an illumination light source that is also installed externally have respective tips close to the signal light irradiation window. Arranged,
The dental light according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a reflector for illumination / imaging is disposed in front of each tip in an area of the irradiation window. Handpiece for diagnostic equipment. A camera that images a tooth near the arrival position of the guide light irradiated on the tooth to determine a photodiagnosis location of the tooth, and an illumination light source for illuminating the tooth captured by the camera An optical fiber disposed in the grip portion and connected to the illumination light source;
An optical fiber for transmitting the surface image of the tooth portion to the imaging surface of the camera,
Each tip is disposed close to the signal light irradiation window, and in front of each tip, a reflector for illumination / imaging is disposed in a portion of the irradiation window. A handpiece for a dental optical diagnostic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.